The Lady Raiders head into the 2021-22 season with high expectations. After rolling through the first three rounds of the 2021 playoffs, the team suffered a loss to an athletic Ponder squad in the regional semifinals. Conventional wisdom would suggest the strong potential for a rematch with the Lady Lions in 2022.
The team entered the offseason with an emphasis on becoming the best version of themselves. Offseason workouts were taken up a notch with a goal to be not only the best basketball players on the court, but to also be the best athletes out there.
“We have worked on getting in the weight room, not only to get stronger, but to become more athletic, quicker, more explosive,” said girls athletic director and head coach Robert Cochran. “The kids have done a tremendous job in the entire program.”
An upgraded schedule will pit Winnsboro against multiple topflight programs, including some Class 6A opponents. Tournaments at Coppell, Glen Rose, and Pea Ridge are all on the slate.
HoopFest is set for December 2-4. Watch for additional details to come.
The Lady Raiders varsity will carry 10 players.
Seniors Reese Lindley and Halle Darst will be first on the floor with juniors Faith Acker, Faith Sechrist, and Shanda Davis.
Sophomore Jayden Cox and freshmen Kaitlyn McAdoo and Halle Deaton will be first off the bench. Junior Jewelisa Duffer and senior Gina Brownlee will also see action.
Junior Natalee Shirley and freshman Payton Green will get most of their minutes on JV as the season gets underway; but they will play up at times depending on situations and opponents.
Lindley, Darst, Sechrist, and Davis are all adept ball handlers. Any one of them can run the point guard spot.
Lindley is a three-year varsity athlete and a leader on the court. She has become a more explosive athlete through the recent conditioning program.
“(Lindley) has a natural instinct for the game that most kids don’t have,” said Cochran.
Darst, who is a three-year starter, is exceptional in her ability to play off the dribble and get to the rim.
Cochran said, “She has an unbelievable knack for being able to drive the ball and get her shot off in the paint, get the ball to the rim.”
At 6-foot-2, Acker is a physical presence. A three-year starter, she averages 18 points per game and passed the 2000-point milestone midway through her sophomore season. An all-state player in 2021, Cochran said she has improved her physical conditioning and gained experience playing with a high-level summer program.
“People are going to see her size and they already know she can play at the rim. What people will see this year is her ability to handle the ball and play out in the open floor, and even play further away from the basket and both shoot the ball and get the ball to the rim.”
Sechrist and Davis are both three-year varsity players.
Cochran said, “(Sechrist) is a tremendous shooter, but she is probably the best passer we have in the program. She has the best overall court vision of any kid I have coached in the last 10 years. Tremendous IQ for the game. Vocal leader as well as leader for her play.”
“Shanda is going to score some, but you don’t have to look at scoring to see her effect on the game. She’s long as a defender. She can handle the ball and run the point, but she can play off the ball and get the ball deep into the paint. She is an excellent passer into the post,” said Cochran.
Cox has also improved her athleticism in the off season. Cochran said she can be an all-state player in the next year or two.
“Her footwork, her ability to finish around the basket, and her ability to play away from the basket, she has been tremendous. Her last two or three weeks of practice have been really good,” he said.
McAdoo and Deaton move straight to the big stage from junior high. The duo brings energy and athleticism. Mix in some experience and they can be truly special. Cochran said they have the skill level and mentality to play at this level, and they bring a level of athleticism the team has not had.
Duffer and Brownlee may not get the minutes, but they will be a big part of any success the team has, said Cochran. Both would be starters on any other team.
“Jewelisa will come and make her presence felt defensively, pressuring the ball. She is going to be the kid who gives us some physicality and ramps up our defensive pressure with the ability to make three-point shots,” said Cochran.
“Gina is a role player, but she can defend the basket, rebound. She has improved her game offensively. She brings leadership and presence by being a role model.”
Shirley is a tremendous three-point threat and, at 5-11, she has good size.
“She plays guard for us. Defensively she can play inside, but offensively she can play outside. She is right there at the door between varsity and JV,” said Cochran.
Green is in transition from being an inside player in junior high to a broader role at the next level.
“Payton is a really good player and has the ability to do both. She is going through a position change where she plays some guard and away from the basket. But depending on what personnel is in the game can still play around the basket,” said Cochran.
Cochran is assisted by coaches Keri Sanders, Imani Wright and Chris Arledge.
Arledge is a new addition to the staff.
Cochran said, “A perennial playoff coach, he a very good coach dealing with pressure and the fast game we play offensively. He fits right in, has been a great addition to our staff.”